Vampire's Vengeance, Part Six

Later—dressed in fresh clothes for the first time since I’d been attacked—I sat at my computer, catching up on my email as Rachel worked on a project in her end of the office.

            I wasn’t sleepy during the day. The burger had helped, along with, uh, resting with Rachel. But I wasn’t shaking anymore. I could focus. I could actually read an email and respond—mostly with, “Sorry, I’ve been sick, but I’ll get to your case as soon as possible . . .”

            By nightfall I was tired—like any normal human. Rachel ate a salad and tolerated me eating another hamburger. “Just don’t get into the habit.” She punched my arm. It was like old times.

            I slept on the couch again, but Rachel didn’t chain me up. I watched some TV, read a bit, and then stretched out.

            I dreamed about my parents. My father is dead, but my mom still lives in the suburbs. I don’t see her often enough. In the dream I called her, but somehow ended up talking to Elena Dudovich. She pops up in my dreams a lot.

            I don’t know what we talked about, because in the middle of the dream I woke up to pounding on the door.

            I rolled off the couch. Rachel opened the bedroom door in shorts and T-shirt just as I was peering out the peephole.

            Angelica. “Help me . . . help me . . .”

            Without thinking I unlocked the door.

            Angelica rushed in, her face flushed, her blond hair tangled in knots. She wore the same white blouse I’d seen before, but now it hung off her shoulders, half ripped to shreds. “It’s him—it’s him.”

            “Okay, okay.” I stepped back. “What is it? Why are you—”

            She opened her mouth wide. I saw fangs.

            And Arrikin stood behind her in the doorway, smiling.

            Oh hell. I jumped back.

            Angelica lunged forward and tackled me, throwing my down on my ass. She was strong now, stronger than she’d been when Arrikin had pushed her down in front of me. Strong and angry. And hungry. I could see it in her eyes, and feel it in the saliva dripping from her lips.

Angelica pounced on top of me, her jaws wide. I shoved my chin down, trying desperately to protect my throat before she could rip it open.

            Then Rachel leaned down and jabbed Angelica’s neck with the stun gun. The female vampire yelped and slid away, gasping and twitching.

            Arrikin kicked the door closed. He had a black patch on the eye I’d stabbed, like a vampire pirate. He paused to look me over with his one yellow eye as I stood on shaking feet. Then he shook his head.

            “I wanted you to suffer, Jurgen.” He turned his head toward Rachel. “Maybe it’s better with her.”

            He lunged. Rachel shoved the stun gun at him, but he swung an arm and batted it away. He rocked forward, ripped Rachel’s T-shirt, and grabbed at her shoulder. She twisted—but she couldn’t get free.

            “No!” I launched myself forward—but Angelica tackled me to the floor again.

            I felt her breath on my face as Rachel shouted. Rachel doesn’t scream, but I could hear the terror in her voice as she struggled against Arrikin.

I was in my socks, with no weapons. Angelica leaned down, her jaws wide as a shark. I pushed at her shoulders as she licked my throat.

            So I did the only thing I could think of—maybe from having battled vampires for too long.

            I stuck my head forward and bit Angelica in the neck.

            She howled, in surprise as much as in pain. But I drew blood, and she rolled back, and I managed to push her off me and swing around on the floor.

            I kicked at Arrikin’s ankles. One of his feet slipped.

            Rachel grabbed one of his ears and twisted. Hard. Arrrikin roared and slammed her to the floor with a fist.

            I scampered away, looking for something to defend us with. On my feet, I clutched a chair from the dining room table and lurched around to swing it at Arrikin’s head.

            It didn’t do much good. The vampire grasped two of its legs and ripped them off, then pushed the chair back at me until I was almost sitting on the table. He threw what was left of the chair to one side and reached out for my throat.

“I won’t even bother with your blood this time, Jurgen.” Blood dripped from his remaining eyes. “I’ll just break your neck. I may drink from you when you’re dying, though.”

I struggled against his arms, but Arrikin was too strong. My lungs burned as I fought for air, and the room around me grew dark. I felt my heart pounding against my ribs. At least I’d die fully human.

Then Arrikin roared again, and I could breathe. When my eyes cleared I saw Rachel stabbing him over and over again with the stun gun again.

Arrikin whirled and caught her wrist, twisting viciously. Rachel shot a knee at his crotch. Even vampires and demons were sensitive down there.

But we couldn’t punch and kick him him forever. I needed something—

Then I saw it.

I pushed around Arrikin as Rachel fell back, the vampire’s hand still clamped around her wrist. She held onto her stunner. Angelica lay on the floor, pressing her hand against her bleeding throat. In pain? Scared? Dying? I didn’t stop to think. Instead I reached down for one of the chair legs Arrikin had broken off.

It had a sharp edge. Sharp enough? I had only one chance to find out.

Arrikin started to turn, but before he could see what I was doing, I raised my makeshift stake and rammed it into his back with as much force as I could.

The vampire lurched forward, howling in pain and fury. Rachel dropped the stun gun into her left hand and shocked Arrikin in the chest as I pressed the stale hard. I felt an electric tingle on my skin.

Arrikin started another roar . . . and then his mouth was silent.

He didn’t dissolve entirely into dust. There were a few body parts left over. Maybe they’d shrivel up in the sunlight? If not, I’d have to get the broom and the dustbuster in the morning.

When what was left of the vampire finally dropped in a loose, foul-smelling pile next to the door.

I turned to check on Angelica.

She stared at Arrikin’s remains. “Oh my g-g-g . . .” she breathed. “Oh my g-g-g . . . I can’t say it. I can’t . . .”

“Are you okay?” I pulled my homemade stake from the rubble on the floor. Just in case.

She stared at the blood from her throat, where I’d slashed her with my teeth. “I couldn’t . . . he made me do it. You have to believe me. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t—I just had to obey him.”

I stepped away from her, slipping in my socks. “How much blood have you had?”

She shuddered. “A lot. He—he took me hunting.”

Damn it. Too late. “I’m sorry.”

I hobbled to the table and found a Post-It note, and scribbled down the address to the nearest HBDC from my phone. “Go here. They’ll give you blood. They won’t kill you, but you have to register. But if any cops catch you hunting, they will kill you.” I made a mental note to suggest to Sharpe that HBDCs start hiring counselors for new vamps. I wasn’t sure that would go over well with the city administration.

Angelica stood up, shaking on her feet. “I’m sorry about . . . all of this. But I was so hungry.” She leaned against the door. “Thank you for not—not killing me.”

Rachel sighed, rubbing her wrist. “Just go. Some of us don’t get to sleep all day.”

She nodded. “Could I get a paper towel or something? You really did a number on my neck.”

Being a vampire—even for only a few days—had obviously taught me something. I gave her an old (clean) dish towel. “Keep it. Good luck.”

“Th-thanks.” Angelica left.

I locked the door. I shouldn’t have opened it in the first place. “I thought—I didn’t think Arrikin would track her down. I thought he’d let her go.” That’s why Sharpe hadn’t heard from her.

Rachel shrugged. “At least we’re alive.” She looked down at the mess on the floor. “I’ll get a sheet to cover that up until tomorrow.” She turned to the bedroom.

For a moment I stared at her neck. So smooth, so warm . . .

“Yeah.” I looked at the sofa. “I think I’ll sleep out here.”

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